How did they get there: Won their first four games in Group C but a run of only one win in their next six games left them third and facing elimination. But they won 2-1 away at rivals Norway and held their nerve to beat Bosnia & Herzegovina to qualify.
Manager: Fatih Terim. The 51-times capped former defender took over for his second spell in 2005 (his first was from 1993-96) and will lead Turkey at his first tournament since Euro 96. 'The Emperor' is known for his decisive leadership and keen tactical awareness.
Captain: Emre. With the shock exclusion of Turkey legend Hakan Sukur from the squad, Newcastle's gifted-yet-unpredictable midfielder will carry the burden of captaincy for the Turks. Will hope to find better form than his three hit-and-miss years on Tyneside.
Euro highlights: Qualified for the first time in 1996 but lost all three games. Bounced back at Euro 2000 to reach the quarter-finals after Hakan Sukur scored twice in their final group game against Belgium, but lost 2-0 to Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Euro legend: Who else, but Sukur? Played in all three games in 1996 and scored a superb double at Euro 2000 against the Belgians.
Star man: Hamit Altintop. After a successful four years at Schalke, the 25-year-old midfield dynamo joined Bayern Munich in 2007 and had a fine debut season until a broken metatarsal ended his campaign in March. Turkey need him at his all-action best if they are to have a successful tournament.
Strengths: It has been said plenty of times before, but Turkey play with something approaching a club mentality. The players know each other inside out, and plenty of them have experience in some of Europe's biggest leagues as well.
Weaknesses: The goalkeeper position is far from settled, with Rustu Recber, Volkan Demirel and Tolga Zengin all vying for a spot, though Volkan should prevail. A lack of pace could also prove their undoing and they can be frustratingly predictable at times.
World ranking: 20th.
Our verdict: Struggled a bit in qualifying and will probably not set Euro 2008 on fire this summer. They would settle for a quarter-final berth, but are unlikely to get one.
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